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Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

I had a friend who kept them in a building with slots cut out for the entrances. It seemed liked the hives never thrived because they did not get that direct morning sun during cooler times that warms the bees up and get's them going. In the spring and the fall it was always 5-10 degrees cooler in that building than outside in the mornings I was there. I'm sure people do it successfully - just a consideration.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

I consider the sun shining on the hives through the winter as a major source of their heat on cold nights. Now the bees being in a shed on a 100 degree July afternoon. that sounds pretty good.

I have read where keeping bees over winter in a cellar was common practice. no idea how well those bees did but from what I can tell it was self induced disease effect that reports on losses looked like exactly what we have now. They didn't have diseases then to kill the bees so they killed them with the beekeeping methods. this is one of the main reasons I don't think that diseases today are the cause of the losses. they are just what is currently being blamed. I seriously wonder if bee losses are due to inadequate keeping methods that have simply never been improved. Losses have been consistent for well over 100 years. the reported causes are the only thing that change.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

No, the top part tilts toward the sun to give you daytime and then when the bottom part tilts to the sun the top part gets night time! Silly, spinning in the other direction. If that was the case our friends in Australia could cruise over for the weekend.

BTW I'm sure they ment the latent heat held over from the sunlight would help warm the hive at night.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

I stated several nucs last summer but the weather was so hot and dry that the nucs never added any stores. I decided to put two of the 5 frame (medium) nucs into my front porch. Since i did not want to drill a hole in the wall, I placed a 2x4 in the window with two holes in the 2x4. The sun does warm the hives up nicely on sunny days. The inside temperture of the room is usually about 55- 60 degrees F. A hole was cut in the top for the lid of a pint jar and a #8 wire mesh placed underneath. I have to refill the jar about once per monh with 1:1 sugar water. I also add a teaspoon full of Mann Lake's PRO HEALTH to a gallon of syrup to keep it from molding. I have done this for two winters with no problems excpt once in a while a bee will excape into my porch.
Hope I can figure how to load a picture of these green nucs thru the glass window.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

In the photo I see sun hitting the hive through a window.
Any thoughts on how a hive would do in a shed or building with just a cut entrance hole, no morning sun to heat up the hive? No winter sun, except what shines into the "escape tube" or however bees are allowed to fly outside.

Hive maintenance would be done indoors- bees that leave the hive during maintenance are now in an enclosed room, possibly in the dark- trouble.
I'd like to try something like this due to my unforgiving winter climate, but don't see how it would actually work with a lot of stings.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

Daniel Y, are you talking about strictly winter losses or losses in general? If winter losses, yes, you can add stress to a colony through an improper way of wintering them, and there are diseases that are propagated by the mites that cause winter loss. In general though, what beekeeping methods are to blame for losses and not disease or mites? John

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

>>Hive maintenance would be done indoors- bees that leave the hive during maintenance are now in an enclosed room, possibly in the dark- trouble.<<

Dirtslinger, I was thinking about a bee escape. But most sheds aren't bee-tight anyway and I think they would go for the light and get themselves out. The reason for the bee escape would be to keep them from getting back in.

Cdevier, I like your picture. I had something like that in mind but maybe a little more camouflaged from outside.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

Originally Posted by Dirtslinger2

Hive maintenance would be done indoors- bees that leave the hive during maintenance are now in an enclosed room, possibly in the dark- trouble.
I'd like to try something like this due to my unforgiving winter climate, but don't see how it would actually work with a lot of stings.

I don't see the dark as a problem, they live in the dark. Maybe you could have a reverse trap out screen to allow the bee to return to the hive if they get outside the hive and into the room.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

I wish I had the warm temps they enjoy btw Bellingham & Coquitlam...but happy I don't have to endure so many fewer flight days b/c of rain.

A bee escape cone pointing into the hive over an entrance opening indoors will let the bees back in, but none out.

if winter warmth is an issue due t elevation, closeting the hives in with foamboard will trap hive warmth, (the guys in alberta actually have to *cool* their overwintering sheds) and if more is needed a 100 W light bulb on a timer or thermostat would probably serve well.

Re: concealing a colony in a shed or garage

Originally Posted by pgayle

>>Hive maintenance would be done indoors- bees that leave the hive during maintenance are now in an enclosed room, possibly in the dark- trouble.<<

Dirtslinger, I was thinking about a bee escape. But most sheds aren't bee-tight anyway and I think they would go for the light and get themselves out. The reason for the bee escape would be to keep them from getting back in.

Cdevier, I like your picture. I had something like that in mind but maybe a little more camouflaged from outside.

why not put.. a one way bee excape into the side or top of the hive.. instead of having it set for bees to go out and not in.. turn it around..so they can go in.. not out.. that might work.. once in a while one might get out that way.. but it should work..

Smart man knows that the road is a one way street..
Wise man looks both ways anyhow.......